Friday, May 31, 2013

I’m
always looking for easy recipes my girls can do on their own with minimal
supervision or assistance from me.The
Poke Cake is a perfect one to incorporate in their recipe collection.

Poke Cake

1 boxed yellow cake mix

3 eggs

1/3 c. oil

1¼ c. water

1 3 oz. box gelatin (any flavor)

1 c. hot water

½ c. cold water

1 tub frozen whipped topping, thawed

Preheat oven to 350°.

Prepare your cake by spraying a 9” X 13”
oblong pan with non stick spray.In a
large bowl combine cake mix, eggs, oil and 1¼ cups of water and whisk until
smooth.Pour into cake pan and bake 30
to 35 minutes until center springs back to the touch.Allow cake to cool completely.

With a fork poke holes half way down all
over the cake spaced about every half inch.Do not poke all the way to the bottom of the cake.In a small bowl thoroughly dissolve gelatin
in 1 cup hot water.Add ½ cup cold water
and stir.Spoon gelatin over surface of
cake.Place cake in refrigerator four
hours to allow gelatin to set.

“Frost” cake with whipped topping and
serve.

Strawberry cake poked with a fork.

After gelatin has set it is time for whipped topping.

Over
Memorial Day Weekend we used a strawberry cake mix and strawberry gelatin.Oh my goodness!Another favorite is to use a lemon cake mix
and lemon gelatin.The orange cake with
orange gelatin is equally delicious.Topping it with fresh fruit is also nice. You can definitely experiment and change it
up.

This is
a family favorite and we make it often, especially as the dessert for family
get-togethers.

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Last
week when I posted our Memorial Day Weekend Plans I was focusing on the chores
I wanted to get done.I also managed to
put some fun into the weekend so it didn’t feel like all work and no play.I also did it on a budget.

We
started Friday evening with no chores other than to feed our pets and do the
dishes.We stopped at the store on the
way home for a treat of frozen pizza, ice cream and soda.At home we baked the pizzas, watched DVDs
from our home collection and finished off the evening with a nice bowl of ice
cream.

Saturday
we started with a pancake breakfast and then the girls had to clean their room
while I did laundry and cleaned bathrooms.Next we went outside for a set time of weed pulling.After the chores for the day were completed
the girls got to bake a poke cake and then we made a nice pork chop dinner.We watched a couple programs on TV and called
it a day.

Sunday
we did something we rarely do.We took
in a matinee at the theater.I had put a
pot roast in the slow cooker before we left so our home smelled so good when we
got back. The girls hurried to mow our
little yard ahead of a storm that was heading in while I made a big bowl of
popcorn for a snack and then put veggies in the slow cooker.We had an early supper and then settled in for
watching NASCAR and playing dominoes.We
also ate cake – twice!

Monday
the girls slept in and I got to enjoy a quiet relaxing morning.While I worked on some items on my “To-Do”
list I enjoyed watching a few cooking programs on TV.After a big breakfast and a few more chores
around the house we watched DVDs from our own collection and enjoyed the last of our long weekend.

I spent
less than $34 on our staycation.$9.87
on our pizza, soda and ice cream, $24 for movie tickets.Definitely a bargain compared to what it
would have cost if we had left town.I
can’t even fill my gas tank for $34.

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

For the
longest time I have done my menu planning for an entire month as a time.I also structured my shopping
accordingly.But now with us getting
ready to go on our big adventure I need to scale back here just like with
everything else.

We will
have far less space for stocking up groceries and therefore I expect we will
need to shop weekly.I decided the best
way to menu plan would be weekly as well.I’m going to have to make other changes too.I will be purchasing more canned and dry
items for stability and better food storage and relying on fresh and frozen
less than I ever have in the past.

It will
be a challenge for me at first to figure it all out but I am certainly up to
it.I’m sure it will definitely test my
creativity quite a bit.It will be fun
too.Change things up a bit.

For now
we will continue to work our way through our stock in the freezers and
pantry.I will shop to supplement with
items we run out of and keep it all to a minimum.

I think
I will be posting our Weekly Meal Plan on Wednesdays with the idea that we will
be doing them beginning Sunday and doing our shopping prior to that. We’ll see how it goes?Wish me luck!

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

After a
rather long and, unfortunately, stressful week Friday couldn’t have come soon
enough for us last week.The fact that
it was a three day weekend with the Memorial Day holiday, well let’s just say
it couldn’t have come at a better time.

We
crawled into the car and as I was digging out my sunglasses and preparing for
the drive home I realized it was tremendously quiet.The girls were just as tapped out as I was.

What
else is a Mom to do?Initiate some
serious car dancing, that’s what!

I put our
Billy Idol’s Greatest Hits CD in and
punched up the volume.We rolled down
the windows and sang and moved around with our arms in the air or our hands
clapping (I kept my hands on the wheel except when stopped at a light) all the
way to the post office, then the grocery store and then all the way home.

We got
some funny looks from the surrounding motorists but we really didn’t care
because it was obvious we were having way more fun than they were.By the time we pulled into the driveway we
had a whole new attitude and some pep in our step.

Monday, May 27, 2013

Sunday
I made a pot of chicken noodle soup literally out of leftover items hanging out
in my freezer.I used up the last of a
bag of frozen chicken breasts and added frozen peas and carrots, corn, mixed
veggies and several containers of frozen broth I had been saving to make soup.All the veggies were little bits left after
making other meals.I also used up a
partial box of ditalini pasta I had in the pantry.It was so delicious!

I
turned five pair of holey jeans into five pair of shorts for my youngest
daughter to wear this summer.

Before

After

I made
a point of using up items still hanging out in our freezer and pantry to make
our meals this week.I didn’t go to the
grocery store until Friday.We also made
sure we used up leftovers in the fridge so nothing went to waste.

On
Friday we had a family pizza party and movie night.We stopped at Fred Meyer on the way home from
work and purchased two Red Baron frozen pizzas (2/$7), ice cream ($2) and a 2
liter bottle of lemon lime soda (87¢) all for less than $10.We watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer DVDs from our
home collection.The girls thought it
was great!

On
Saturday my daughters made a wonderful dessert for the holiday weekend using a
cake mix I had bought on sale for 49¢, a box of gelatin on sale for 20¢, a tub
of frozen whipped topping for 74¢ and three of our farm fresh eggs.

Friday, May 24, 2013

While
some of you will be travelling, camping or having a BBQ and others will be
working in their yards or homes getting them summer ready I will be putting my
three days off to good use.

Right
now our home looks like it's been ransacked.I guess in a way it really has.In the past three weeks we have all pulled out everything in our
closets, cupboards and drawers.We have
sorted, re-organized and purged like a trio of mad ladies.Then we packed up what was left into boxes,
labeled them and set them aside.

I have
made one of those wretched “To-Do” lists for this weekend.You didn’t think I had given them up
completely did you?This is what I have
planned:

·Finish
sorting, organizing, and purging the closets, drawers and cupboards.

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Last
week I completely missed trash day.Time
seemed to be passing so quickly that I didn’t realize it was already
Wednesday.In my little brain I was
still on Monday heading for Tuesday.To
say I was a little behind the times would be an understatement.

By the
time I mentioned it to the girls it was already Friday!I didn’t feel so bad when they told me they
had completely forgotten about it too.Hadn’t even crossed their minds.

I’d
like to say this is an infrequent occurrence but the truth of the matter is it
has steadily become our norm.I lose
track of the days constantly, so do my girls.I sit at work on a Friday and can’t seem to figure out how it is
possible that it is Friday already.Again!

I
remember when I couldn’t wait for Friday to get here.Seemed to take forever and then the weekends
would go by so fast.Monday morning
would show up and I’d groan at the idea that Friday would take forever to get
here.Now my weekends are gone in a
flash.I don’t have time to groan about
Monday because it is already Tuesday, before I figure it out, and groaning at
this point would just be silly.

The
school year here ends in less than two weeks.Memorial Day is next Monday!I’m
still trying to figure out what the heck happened!Is it really possible?

As a
chronic overachiever I have the tendency to put so much emphasis on planning
and working on my goals that I fail to enjoy the process of getting there.And
I am a constant worrier.

I don’t
take time to sit and enjoy what is going on.I don’t listen to the birds sing and I cannot tell you the last time I
watched a sunset.I do not take the time
to stop and smell the roses. I can’t
manufacture more time.I can’t slow down
the clocks or turn back the pages on the calendar.

I have to slow down.I
need to focus more on this moment and less on the next one.

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

I have
made the decision to leave Boise and start my life over in a new place.I will no longer be the Thrifty Mom In
Boise.Instead I will be the Thrifty Mom
From Boise.There are a multitude of reasons supporting
my decision to do this.The most
important one is to improve my quality of life.

I have
an idea where my final destination may be but I am not 100% sure.My plan is to wend my way in that direction
and see what happens.For someone who is
anything but spontaneous, this is a huge departure from my norm.I am a planner.I like to know what to expect.I need to know the ending before I even get
started.That sounds kind of nuts if you
really think about it.

Not
this time.I am making myself do
something completely different.

Usually
when I know my destination I charge ahead and we get there.If you have ever travelled with me you know I
stop when I get there.If you need to
pee (sorry about that one time Mom) you’d better do it while I’m gassing up or
else you will be in trouble later.I’ve
always had an agenda and a timeline.

Not
this time.

The
hardest part about this decision and the process to get ready to go has been
saying “see you later” to my friends and family.“Good Bye” isn’t an option.I’m not fond of good byes, anyway.We all need to stay in touch and I really
think most of us will.

I’ve
caused quite a few tears lately and for that I feel badly, but not enough to
stick around.

Sorry!

I’m
excited, my girls are excited, our two cats are… well maybe not so much, but we
are going on a great adventure.One of
my friends told me he thinks I’m like a little kid.He likes that I seem to have found my spark
again.I think he might be right about
that.

Monday, May 20, 2013

Sunday
I made a delicious Mother’s Day meal with all the ingredients from my pantry,
fridge and freezer.I baked the meatloaf
and potatoes in my convection oven so I didn’t have to heat up my kitchen.

Monday
I thawed out a pan of lasagna I had put in the freezer a couple of months ago
and baked it in the toaster oven for our supper that night.We had enough leftover meatloaf and lasagna
for another meal on Tuesday and Wednesday.

I
mended two things that have been patiently waiting for a long time.My backpack and my camera bag.Both had issues with frayed webbed
straps.The camera strap was literally
hanging by a thread.I got out a heavy
needle, my great-grandmother’s thimble and a spool of black carpet thread and finally repaired them.It feels good not to look at them sitting in
my mending pile anymore.

Webbed strap was fraying at the seam.

All fixed!

Camera bag hanging by a thread.

Good as new!

Much
better sales last week so I went to Fred Meyer on Tuesday to pick up a few
things.We ran out of cheese and peanut
butter and both were on sale.

·2
jars of peanut butter $1.50 each

·2
pounds of butter $1.88 each

·2
pounds medium cheddar $4.29

·2
bags lettuce mix – buy one get one free 88¢

·2
bags spinach – buy one get one free $1.99

·2
tomatoes 44¢

·apples
& oranges - 77¢ per pound

·cucumber
69¢

·strawberries
$1.88

I sold
some more stuff on eBay this week.

I
finally broke down Friday evening and did my monthly grocery shopping.Amazingly I didn’t need to purchase very much
so I was in and out in no time.It was
nice!

I finished up every last bit of my facial cleanser and a tube of toothpaste. I'm now working on using up a bottle of whitening toothpaste that has been taking up space in the cupboard It is about half full. Not my favorite but waste not, want not.

Friday, May 17, 2013

It is
definitely yard sale season once again and we are seriously contemplating
having another one this year.I just
need to find the time.As I am purging
and reorganizing, however, I am finding I have quite a bit of stuff to put in
one.

A
friend of mine is having one in June so I think I might just take my stuff over
and set it up with hers.The more the
merrier, right?

Yards
sales are a wonderful way to get rid of your stuff and acquire a little extra
cash.They are also a great way to
acquire things you need or want for a fraction of the cost of buying something
at the store or even online.

Lately
I’ve been more in the selling at yard sales and less about the acquisition of
stuff.Someday I’m sure that will
change.

Last
year I ran this post about Yard Sales.You may want to re-visit it if you are thinking about or planning a yard
sale this year.

Thursday, May 16, 2013

This
week I went through and reorganized our toiletries in our main bathroom.I have found that I have enough toothbrushes,
shampoo, conditioner and soaps to last until the end of the year.I have enough toothpaste, razors, deodorant
and lotions to last even longer than that.

I wait
to purchase toiletries when they go on sale and most of the time I have a
coupon to match up with that sale for maximum savings and then I stock up.Often, as is the case with toothpaste this year,
I am able to match up a sale and a coupon to get it for free.Usually, I am able to buy shampoo for as
little as 99¢ and deodorant for 50¢.

I
really like the shower gels and lotions they sell at Bath and Body Works.I feel, despite the fact that this stuff is
more expensive than others you can buy for less, that I get a better
value.I find that the lotion
moisturizes better and seems to last longer so I don’t need to use as much.I use the shower gel not only to wash with
but for shaving my legs.Since I started
doing that I no longer get razor burn.I
also love the fragrances and find that I save on using perfume this way too.For me it is definitely an affordable luxury.

To save
money on the shower gels and lotions I purchase in bulk, using coupons (you can
print them right off their website if you are not on their mailing list) in
conjunction with their really great promotions they run periodically throughout
the year.I am not only able to acquire
a lot of product but a lot of free product this way.I end up using quite a bit of what I purchase
as gifts for friends and family too which saves me even more money in the long
run.

I am
not an extreme coupon shopper by any means, but saving big money on toiletries
is super easy to do with just a little bit of time and effort.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Remember
when I posted about my love for Tiny Homes?Well, long before I discovered those I discovered the park model
RV.They’ve been around forever.In the past ten years they have really
evolved into a nice miniature home with great style and an efficient use of
space.

They
come with everything you need, a complete bathroom with a full sized tub and
nicely equipped kitchen with plenty of storage and nice appliances.No dishwasher, but that wouldn’t matter to
me.I hardly use the one I have.You can even get an option for a stackable
washer and dryer set installed.I’d
definitely want that, I think.

The
bedrooms have your drawers and closets already built right in so all you need
is your bed.A love seat and a recliner
would fit nicely in the living room and most have a dining area to fit a table
and four chairs.Not to mention a cable
ready entertainment center.

If I
was to purchase one I’d want one with a loft so kids and grandkids would have a
place to stay over or play games.They
are definitely more spacious than a tiny home would be.

Several
years ago I started looking into them as a vacation property option.I thought it would be much more reasonable
for me to buy a lot and put one of these on that lot rather than trying to
build my own cabin.Definitely an
affordable option in that they start out at around $22,000.I love that you can get one with log siding.

Recently
I’ve found myself looking once again and pining away for one of these.It is so much fun to look and dream!

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Mother’s
Day is supposed to be restful.A time
for Mom to sleep in late, have a gourmet breakfast served to her in bed by her
kind and loving husband with the six pack abs and pecs to die for with her
wonderful children, impeccably groomed and so well behaved in tow carrying a
bouquet of flowers and a great big card.Who’s house are we talking about?!

Alright,
so once I had woken up and reality set in… J

My
children slept in until 10:00 while I was up at 6:30.Hurray!I can get a bunch of stuff done, because that is really how it works at my house.

I did
take the time to enjoy a couple cups of coffee and read the Sunday paper.Of course I checked the ads and clipped my
coupons, just like any other Sunday.Then I got dressed and headed off to Fred Meyer to pick up my gift for
my Mother.I always buy her a bunch of
bedding plants for her flower pots.She
loves to garden and every time I think I should get her something else I end up
getting her flowers for her pots.I kind
of think she expects it now and would be disappointed if I did get her
something else.When I got home I
arranged all 8 plants in a really nice recycled wicker basket I had received at
Christmas and we used it as our centerpiece on the table at dinner.Then she got to take it home.If I had been thinking I would have taken a
picture.

Next it
was time to start the preparations for dinner.I had invited my parents over and they were bringing dessert so that was
covered.I made a meatloaf out of ground
pork and ground beef and added a package of frozen grated zucchini to it
too.Made it moist and delicious.I also made a raspberry gelatin with crushed
pineapple, baked potatoes with butter and sour cream, frozen broccoli and cauliflower with cheese
sauce, canned green beans, olives and pickles.Everything I already had on hand and no shopping required.We are water drinkers so I didn’t even need
to worry about beverages.

I had
everything ready to go into the oven when they got here and the girls were
still sleeping so I cleaned my kitchen, mopped my floors and vacuumed the entire
downstairs.The vacuum cleaner got them
up.We spent the rest of the day goofing
off after they did their chores and mowed the grass.

After
supper we finished the evening off with a couple games of dominoes and a really
decadent ice cream my parents brought.I
don’t even want to know the calorie count on that one.It sure was good though.

After
my parents left and the girls went to bed I spent the remainder of my Mother’s
Day washing up a big sink full of dirty dishes.I vacuumed the living room once again because my cat decided to groom himself
and pluck hair all over the floor last night.Gotta love that!Then I crawled
into bed with my book and read until I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer.Needless to say I didn’t read long.

Yes, I did
a lot of work and no, it wasn’t restful by any stretch, but it was a wonderful
day and I loved every minute of it!

Monday, May 13, 2013

I am
happy to report we are still working on clearing things from our pantry so I
didn’t do any major grocery shopping last week.I did stop and pick up a couple packages of flour tortillas on sale at
Albertson’s for $10/10.Total spent – a whopping
$2!

Sales
last week were pretty crummy at the grocery stores.

All our
vegetables and fruit have been coming from our pantry and freezer.I had some onion, bell peppers and coleslaw mix
leftover in the crisper drawer that we used up.

I
detailed our car for $5.I took it to
the Metro Express Carwash on Tuesday and they not only gave me a $2 discount on
their basic wash but also upgraded me to the next level of wash and wax for
free.I love their vacuum cleaners
too.The crevice toll is much better
than the one I have at home to get into all the nooks and crannies.I completely cleaned the inside and it looks
beautiful!

I thawed
a boneless ham from the freezer and sliced it up for sandwiches for the girl’s
lunches last week.I also cubed some of
it and used it in a Denver style scramble with our fresh eggs for a supper one
night.

My
mother gave me a delicious loaf of her French bread and her next door neighbor
gave me 6 huge Haas avocados from her tree at her home in California.They are delicious and I still have a couple
left to enjoy this week.

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Friday, May 10, 2013

I am
suspending my monthly To Do Lists until further notice.Boy that felt really good to say!

In an
effort to cut down on my many tasks and things to do, I will be re-evaluating
this idea to see if I can come up with something better.Once I figure it out I’ll let you know.

I have
been struggling with these lists this year because I am seriously burned out on
the process.What used to be a
motivation tool has become something I now find just plain unpleasant.Therefore, no longer effective!

Time to
find something else!What I can tell you
is this. Its replacement will be much shorter and far less ambitious.I also know that in order to make this goal a
reality I need to streamline things so lofty To Do lists aren’t as necessary.

Thursday, May 9, 2013

What
if… one day you woke up and decided to shuck it all and start over?A whole new life, a brand new beginning.

What
would you do?

How
would you do it?

Where
would you go?

How
would you live?

What
would you keep and what would you take?

Could
you really do it?

I just
read an article a couple of weeks ago on MSN.com about a single woman living in
New York City.She had moved there to
start her career and thought, for the most part, she was living her dream.Then one day she realized her dream was
living her.She was unhappy and
wondering why.She had found that time
was passing her by and all she did was work.Her social life had diminished to almost non-existent.Her tiny apartment did not fulfill her, nor
did her job anymore.

After
some serious soul searching she bid the hustle and bustle of Manhattan good bye
and hopped a plane to Portland, Oregon.Then she started her life over.

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

My
little home office is located in a corner of our living room.I used to have a much larger desk with a hutch
and everything plus a printer stand. What a monstrosity that was!

I
bought a much smaller desk, I think the smallest computer desk they make, to scale
it down and make it less of a dominant presence.The desk holds the computer and printer
altogether nicely so no need of a separate printer stand.It does have the pull out keyboard shelf so I
still have a clear surface to set my work or to write on.

I also
pared down my office supplies considerably and put up a couple of shelves above
to store them on.I use pretty photo
boxes to store cards, post its, notepads, envelopes, stickers and what have
you.I added a clamping desk lamp to the
lower shelf for lighting and a bulletin board hangs on the wall for important
things like schedules and photos of my children.

Neat,
organized and compact.Do you have a
home office?How do you manage your
computer and all your things?